


Like a Rolling Stone

by orphan_account



Category: Futurama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 05:42:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14129325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When the attention is coming from Bender, Fry doesn't even care if it's negative.





	1. Springtime

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost. Sorry guys, I meant to orphan it originally but anyway, here it is now!

  
  


 

 

He's insecure. And he's dumb. He's always known this.

It's probably gonna be the reason why he and Leela won't work out. They're already on the outs again. She is smart and brave and beautiful. And Fry knows just what he is, and it isn't that. So of course being dumb it takes him a while to put into thought what he instinctively knows.

Where there is pleasure and displeasure there is consciousness.

And where there is consciousness there can be desire.

Fry may be stupid but he isn't _that_ stupid - he knows Bender will never _desire_ him. Isn't robosexual. Not for Fry anyway.

Fry can't explain why he does it. Maybe because in a convoluted way the displeasure he causes reminds him of the fact that _desire_ is something Bender can feel and that makes Fry _feel_ -

So he displeases Bender. On purpose.

Like he said - he isn't smart.

 

 

"Watch it meatbag!"

A cold, sharp metal finger jabs into the soft flesh of Fry's side. He can already feel the bruise forming.

"Ow! Bender." He whines, even though he's the one at fault.

There's coffee all over Bender's head, and the robot scoffs as he wipes it off.

"You did that on purpose." Bender accuses, narrows his eyes at him.

The robot's voice rumbles through his chest, sounds low and soothing and echoed.

"I did not!" Fry challenges.

"Yeah, yeah." Bender says, pushes past Fry on his way out, still glaring.

Fry tingles from where Bender's deliberately brushed against him, wonders if it's him or if robots send out some kind of subtle shock.

 

 

It's mostly just little things at first - like smudging his fingerprints across Bender's shiny smooth surface just to annoy him. Only, it gets progressively harder to provoke a reaction. Instead, Bender looks at him through half lidded eyes and shrugs - if he acknowledges Fry at all. It forces Fry to get a little creative. But that takes smarts and those aren't Fry's strong suit.

 

 

" _Fry_." Bender states, voice pitched low and dangerous.

Emotional - Fry thinks.

Fry's accidentally ruined the whole box. He swears to himself he only meant to ruin one. His heart pounds in his chest when Bender closes in on him, all cool metal and buzzing electricity.

"I-I didn't mean-" Fry smiles weakly.

Bender stops just short of touching, reaches his arms down to cage Fry in against the counter.

"You didn't mean to, huh?" Bender asks dryly, taking Fry in with his inhuman gaze.

"I'll buy you a new box." Fry placates.

"Sure." Bender says smoothly and pulls away. If Fry didn't know better he'd almost say the robot sounded lost in contemplation.

It's a little less than what Fry's expecting and maybe his face falls when Bender leaves the room and doesn't give him a hard time.

 

 

The next time - and of course it's something else Fry has spilled, he isn't that creative - Bender lays hands on him. Manhandles him against the table. When Fry squeaks in pain at being pressed into the flat edge Bender drags him forward and pulls him up by his hips, sets him sitting on it instead.

"Listen here meatwad, you think - " the robot's digits are pressing into Fry's hips and he can't help but twitch against the grasp. He hopes Bender doesn't notice but of course he has to have noticed because his words fizzle out abruptly.

They stare at each other a moment.

Then Bender drags Fry's hips forward, lifts them up - and Fry scrambles to grab at Bender for balance, before rolling Fry's hips back and thumping Fry back down further in on the table.

"Watch yourself." Bender growls.

 

 

One day he maybe takes it in a stupid direction, and a little too far.

He thinks of things that will leave a mark, that will be hard to remove. He always comes back to oil. He doesn't want to hurt Bender, doesn't want to use something gross like pizza grease so he settles on olive oil.

He slicks his hands and forearms up. Plans to tell Bender he was using it for lotion, even has the foresight to complain about dry hands the day before.

When he sees Bender he fumbles into him like it's an accident, smears his hands and the oil across Bender's front.

It's gratifying to see the storm cross Bender's face as he looks down at him.

"Gee, sorry Bender. I didn't see you there." Fry tries for innocent, widens his eyes and let's his lip pout.

"You know Fry, robosex isn't all that different."

It's a curveball. Fry feels his face heat and he goes to respond but nothing comes out of his mouth. Probably because he has no clue what to say. Fry's convinced for an insane second that he's heard wrong. Bender's expression is still all thunder and storm clouds.

Fry swallows thickly and Bender's eyes latch on to the movement before he breaks his gaze and looks up at Fry once more.

"It's just ports." Bender leers.

"w-what?" Fry wheezes out.

"I downloaded the proper physiological responses. I don't do that for just anybody Fry. Didn't even do that for Amy."

Then Bender is leaning down to take one of Fry's oil covered hands. He holds it up to inspect it. Then he presses the hand to a section of pristine metal.

Fry thinks he whines low in his throat.

In the next few moments, before Fry even knows what's happening, they're fumbling into the bedroom. It's not like he's planned this but suddenly he feels willing to take whatever Bender is willing to give him. Bender pushes him firmly onto the small bed, reaches for the bottle of oil on the bedside table.

"Extra virgin? That you, Fry?" he asks.

Fry can't stop his blush, it spreads across him.

" _Bender_." he says, hushed and embarrassed. Bender chuckles, robotic and warm and _perfect_.

"Don't worry Fry, I _like_ shy. Really gets me going." Bender reaches to push the jacket off Fry's shoulders but Fry stops him with a hand to the chest.

Fry frowns. He's dumb but even he can see that - well -

"B-but what would you get out of it?" Fry asks. Hopes Bender gets what he means. Because Bender is _Bender_ \- he can swear and be selfish and desire and he has a soul - Fry swears he has a soul and if Bender doesn't then Fry doesn't want one either - but in the end Fry knows it's _different_ than being with another person.

"You're right. It's different. Mostly it's math, electricity. But it's the salt on your skin too, the brush of ions. It's the satisfaction that I've made you come all messy like a human, all over yourself and you can't help it, like you've sprung an _oil leak_. That I've driven you to your absolute biological function. That I _own_ you. Because I would own you, wouldn't I Fry?"

"Y-yes." Fry isn't sure Bender doesn't own him already.

"That's right." Bender sounds smug, pushes Fry flat on his back. "Now lie back sweetheart and show me that pretty port of yours."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Merry Christmas

 

 

 

 

It'd been months. And still Fry hadn't been able to bring himself to ask the question.

_Are you ashamed of me?_

It was probably because he knew the answer.

It would be a resounding yes.

How could it not? It's not like Bender didn't remind Fry of his inferiority at every turn. And the thing that really hurt was that it wasn't just about being human - although that was part of it. Leela had gotten a 'hot', Amy a 'super hot' and Fry.... a 'meh' when the Professor had taken to rating them for a mission and asked Bender's personal opinion.

Not subjective but _personal_. Subjective Fry could understand, he didn't have any illusions about how attractive he was. But personal?

"So _meh_ how's about I take you for a drink downtown at a seedy bar where no one will recognize us?" Bender had said after work, leaning coolly against the wall with a cigar in his mouth.

It kind of hurt.

" _Meh_ yourself." Fry grumbled back, not intending on going anywhere with Bender.

But then Bender lilted in that over confident way of his, "Shut up Baby, You know you want me." and Fry knew that it was true.

 

 

 

The thing about it is that Bender makes Fry feel wanted.

When they're alone together Bender traces cool digits across Fry's back, and Bender's favorite thing is when Fry kisses him. Not just his mouth, but Bender likes it when he kisses him everywhere, all over. Bender groans and runs fingers through Fry's hair.

Tells Fry he's surely his namesake because he's burning out all of Bender's circuits.

When they... _make love_ the human way, Bender gibbers his appreciation. Tells Fry all the things Fry wants to hear - how hot he is, how tight, how pretty. When they make love the robot way - all ports and electricity and Fry's confusion - Bender always lets out a great heaving sigh of appreciation, eyes half lidded. Says 'thanks doll' and 'you're so good to me Baby'.

It's so good - everything Fry has ever wanted and never dared to hope for - when they're alone.

The problem lies in when they aren't.

 

 

 

"Aw Fry, what's a matter?" Leela asks when she finds Fry sitting decidedly dejected on the stairs leading up to the balcony in the ship room.

Hermes and Zoidberg have just finished making fun of the state of Fry's love life in the tv room. Bender had entered halfway through, listened in for a moment or two before declaring Fry was hopeless. That Fry may as well an inanimate object for all something sentient could ever want him.

Fry had fled to the laughter that followed.

Bender had stood coolly - always cool - at the door, flicking ashes at Fry as he went by.

He hadn't even followed Fry out.

"Hey Leela." Fry musters with a smile, although he kind of wishes he could wallow alone. "Nothing, I'm just...you know, thinking."

"Out here by yourself?"

Fry's always found Leela's voice soothing. And if anything Leela is on Bender's level. Both extremely out of Fry's league.

"Leela, when we dated were you ever ashamed to be seen with me?" he asks earnestly.

"Of course not Fry." Leela intones pityingly, "We just weren't right for each other, but don't worry you'll find someone."

At that Leela tsks and pats Fry's shoulder as she leaves.

 

 

 

That night when Bender comes home Fry's already in bed. He wakes long before Bender even gets to him because Bender is sloppy drunk - crashing through the house.

It's a sight that's become unusual - since they've gotten together.

He stumbles into Fry's room and paws at the blankets.

"Move over meatbag." Bender belches and climbs in.

The bed isn't really big enough. Furthermore, Bender's considerable weight sinks it causing Fry to roll haphazardly into him.

"You horny babe?" Bender asks, and begins pawing at Fry's clothes, "you're always so eager. Just can't get enough of the ol' Bender huh?"

Bender giggles then while Fry frowns and pushes himself away.

"Bender!" he starts sternly but doesn't get a chance to continue because Bender knocks his head into Fry's.

He's probably going for a kiss but miscalculates and hits too hard.

Fry swears he sees stars. It hurts.

"Fuck!" Bender's voice is clear suddenly, "sorry, sorry Fry. I'm sorry."

Fry should be angry, but he's really just tired.

He wraps his arms around Bender's middle and lays his sore head against Bender's chest.

"It's okay just let me sleep."

It's a little disappointing when Fry wakes in the early morning to Bender extracting himself in annoyance. Fry doesn't want to say it hurts his feelings but it hurts his feelings.

 

 

 

It happens at the staff Christmas party.

Fry's been looking forward to going for weeks. He thinks it's going to be fun. As roommates Bender and him can enter together, and for a second it almost feels like they're a normal couple.

Later, if it's inconspicuous, Fry's going to try and get Bender under a piece of mistletoe. He knows where they all are, he helped Leela and Amy put them up.

The music is cheery and reminds Fry of home in a nostalgic, happy way. The food is good and the drinks are even better - so much so that Fry gets a little sloshed.

It has nothing to do with the fact that Bender has ditched him since they came in the door.

It's a rather anti-climactic moment - Fry, inebriated and lacking sound judgement, sees Bender under a mistletoe and beelines for him. He doesn't notice, exactly, that Bender is in conversation with a few other crew members. Fry does notice the female robot.

It's a messy kiss. Not a friendly one. Not one that can be misunderstood.

It feels like the room goes quiet. A shrimp falls to the floor when Amy fails to close her mouth. Even Leela seems taken aback.

"Ew." Bender's disgust is exaggerated. "What's the big idea Fry? You think I want your disgusting meat mouth all over me?"

It's really Fry's fault. He shouldn't be outing Bender in so public a place, not when he knows how Bender feels about this.

But the thing is Fry doesn't really know how Bender feels.

And maybe Fry can't help it because he's drunk. He bursts in to tears. Sobs all horrible and cry-faced as he runs from the room.

He doesn't wait around to see what any of them say. He doesn't want to know.

The professor at least comes out where Fry is crying and pats him on the shoulder.

"There There." he says, and it's surprisingly comforting.

Fry leans against him and Farnsworth lets him, doesn't push him away.

Later, Fry takes a cab home.

 

 

 

He's intent on crying himself to sleep.

Bender gets in a few hours later.

Fry tries to pretend he's asleep but his little hiccuping sobs give him away. Still, though, he isn't expecting the tell tale dip of the bed that signifies Bender's on it.

He isn't sure what he's expecting, but it isn't Bender's next words.

"Fry, I'm a piece of shit. You shouldn't be with me."

"What?" he responds dumbly.

"You're too good for me."

And the things is that Bender sounds like he means it. He sounds _sad_ and that is something Fry just can't leave alone. He turns to look at him then.

Bender's back is turned and he's slumped.

Fry pulls Bender back and Bender lets him. Eventually, Bender looks at him. Reaches up and traces Fry's cry swollen eyes with cool fingers.

"I'm sorry." The way Bender says it is stuttering and low, pained, "I'm sorry I made you think I was ashamed to be with you and I'm sorry how I treated you."

Fry sniffles but draws himself closer against Bender.

"I love you Fry and I thought you might leave if I stopped being...what attracted you in the first place."

"Bender-" Fry finally says, "I love _you_."

Fry hopes Bender gets the gist of what he means. He feels too far gone to explain things properly, to explain just how much Bender means to him.

"I'm stupid Fry." Bender says and Fry almost laughs.

"We can be stupid together." Fry says.

He's always felt stupid, always felt not enough, and it's a comfort just to have company. Even if Fry doesn't think Bender is stupid, even if he thinks Bender has hung the moon and the stars.

Bender lets Fry snuggle against him, kisses Fry's forehead.

"Leela almost kicked the shit out of me." Bender says offhand, "But between you - me, I deserved it."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
